Machine for separating articles



Sept. 9, 1930.

F. P. RYDER 1,775,214 MACHINE FOR SEPARATING ARTICLE 5 Filed Sept. 11,1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwvent oc 73-02111 75 7/16 Froer,

dkotmq Filed Sept. 11, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 31 mntoz Ear/r 73/115FY0673 Sept. 9, 1930. F. P. RYDE'R 1,775,214

MACHINE FOR SEPARATING ARTICLES Filed Sept. 11, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3Patented Sept. 9, 1930 I j UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK IE. RYDER,F NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK MACHINE FOR SEPARATING ARTICLES Applicationfiled September 11, 1928. Serial No. 305,154.

My invention relates to apparatus for and and ring 3 resting ontravelers 6 and separating thin articles vfromthicker articles 7Travelers 4 and 6 are carried on shaft 8 and has for its object toprovide an apparatus mounted in suitable bearings on the machineparticularly adapted to separate stems or frame and provided withpulleys 9 to which .5 stalks of string bean bushes or vines from thepower may be. applied. Travelers 5 and 7 string bean pods. When stringbeans are are carried on shaft 10 on the opposite side stripped from thebushes or vines on which of the machine frame. Sprocket 11 on shaft theyare grown by mechanical means and 8 is connected by sprocket chain 12with the leaves and stalks separated from the bean sprocket 13 on shaft10 so that'the travelers 10 pods as described in the applicationfor Let-4: and 6 and 5 and 7 are positively rotated ters Patent of the UnitedStates filed by me to rotate the cylinder 1. November 9, 1927, SerialNo. 232,119, more The inner surface of cylinder 1 is proor less of therelatively short and thin leaf vided with numerous hooks 14 each hookconstalks or stems are still presentwith the bean sisting of a piece ofsheet metal bent to the 15 pods and must be eliminated before the beanshape shown in Figure 4 with a portion 15 pods are snipped and otherwiseprepared for adapted to be secured to the cylinder by canning. Theseleaf stalks or stems are of screw or rivet 16, and a portion 17 offsetfrom slight diameter or thickness compared to the the cylinder adistance just sufiicient to perbean pods and maybe of considerablelength mit it to engage the stems or stalks but not 20 though usuallyshorter than the bean pods. suflicient to permit a bean pod to getbetween 1 My invention has for its object to provide it and the cylinderwall. An ofiset of nine means by which this difference in thicknesssixty-fourths of an inch is found sufficient of the stalks or stemsandthe bean pods may for satisfactory operation. be taken advantage ofto effect their separa- When the string beans with more or less 2 tionso that the bean pods and stalks or stems stalks mixed with them areintroduced into may be discharged at] different points. A the cylinderrotating'in the direction indifurther object of my invention is toprovide cated by the arrows in Figures 1 and 2, the means by. which thinarticles of'any kind hooks it will pick up the stalkswhich by may beseparated from thicker articles. reason of their slight thickness willenter .30 With the objects above indicated and other under offset 17while the bean pods being too objects hereinafter explained my inventionthick to enter under the offset will roll over consists in theconstruction and combinathe hooks. The rotation of the cylinder willtion of. elements hereinafter described cause the hooks to carry-thestalks up to the and claimed. 1 top of the cylinder where they will bedis- .35 Referring to the drawings: charged so as to drop into asuitable recep- Figure 1 is an end view ofthe inlet end of tacle orconveyor. a machine embodying my invention, the in- For convenience inintroducing the bean let chute being omitted. pods into the cylinder achute 18 is provided Figure 2 is-a cross sectional view of the at oneend andat theother end a delivery 41 machine shown in Figure 1 at aboutmidway chute 19 is provided for discharging the bean between its ends.pods into a suitable receptacle 20. In order Figure 3 is a side view ofthesame. to facilitate delivery the axis of cylinder 1 Figure 4. is aperspective view of abean is inclinedshghtlydownward' towards the podand a leaf stalk or stem, and delivery end as indicated in Figure 3.

,45 Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the For the purpose ofdislodging any bean hooks carried on the inner surface of the pods whichmay be caught by the end of oacylinder of the machine. set 17 a rotarybrush 21 is arranged within In thedrawings 1 indicates a cylinder thecylinder on shaft 22 which is located preferably of sheet metal, carriedby end slightly above the plane of the axis of cylin- SO rings 2 and 3,ring 2 resting on travelers 4t derl and carries sprocket 23 which isdriven sets so that they will drop back towards the bottom of thecylinder. Near the top of the cylinder is arranged a second: brush 26carried on shaft 27 which is provided with sprocket 28 for engagementwith sprocket chain 24, this brush 26xbeing;s0sdrivenithat it will actupon the stalks engaged by offsets 17 to drive them outfromrsuchiengagement? The brush thus acts upon the stalks in the samedirection in which Vthey'are carried by 15.

the rotation of the cylinder but the peripheral speed of'the brush isgreater than the speed of movement of the inner surface ofthe'cylinder.This greater peripheral speed of the brush is provided for by makingsprocket 28 of'less diameter than sprocket 25 on shaft 8; In order toprovide for rotating brush 21' in one direction and "brush 26in theopposite direction'sprocket chain 24 is vpassed over idler sprocket29fonshaft 30 carried inbearings on the upper-part ofthe machine frame.Sprocket chain 24 passes fro'msprocket 25 to idler sprocket 29and'then'ce beneath 28 and over sprocket 23 and'back to sprocket 25; j

As the stalks are dislodged from thehooks 14 by brush'26'they fallonto-conveyor belt v31 arranged" within the cylinder 1 carried betweenlongitudinal supports 32 and 33by rollers 3and35', ofwhich 85 isoutsidethe deliveryend of cylinder 1 and isdriven by under. the. sizestated may, of course, be

sprocket. chain 3B'eng'aging, sprocket' 37 on shaft 38of"roller 35' andsprocket 39 on cross shaft 40 which is driven by bevellgearing 41 fromshaft 10.- An inclined'plate 42 carried by longitudinal support 33servesto guide from hooks 14 rto'the conveyor belt 81; The

I stalks or stems collected onfconveyor 31 vdrop from the conveyorbeltas it passes about roll,- er 35 into chute 43-fr0m which they fallinto a suitable receptacle.

The difference-between the bean pods and the stalks is shown inFigurelin wanna indicates, actual size, a bean pod of the smaller size.used for canning and .46 indicates a leaf stalk, actual size having thestem end the usual enlargement47. These stems or stalks are not usuallyover threeand one-half inches in length and are usually less than ninesixty-fourths of an inch in thickness forth-e.v main portion of theirlength while the beanpodssuitablefor canning are more than ninesixty-fourths of an inch in thickness. The bean pods,-if any, whicharecaught byhooks 14 stems or. stalks. I i It will, of: course, beunderstoodlthat the spacing ofthe ,0fi'sets17 T is not limitedto thenine; sixty-fourths off an inch but 'may be greater or less than thisasmay be required.

and carried off with the It is also to be understood that I do notdesire to be limited to details of construction shown and described,particularly as regards the driving mechanism for operating the severalmoving parts of the machine shown.

It will further. be understood that while particularly adaptedandintended?fon-sepa- 'rating'st'ems or stalks from string bean podsitmay'be used for separating thinner articles of, any kindfrom thickenarticles, it being of course necessary to space the offset 17 of the;hooksf1'efrom the inner surface of the cylinder the proper distance topermit the thinnerxarti'oles' on'ly to enter them. Having thus describedmy invention what I claim is;'

1'. In a machinefor separating articles differing in thickness, ahollowcylinder mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis-having on its interiorsurface hooks having portions thereof extending in'the direction inwhich the cylinder rotates and offset from the sur face of the cylindera distance corresponding to the thickness of the thinner articles andless than the thickness-of the thicker article's, means for rotating thecylinder, and positively action means moving in the direction in whichthe hooks extend for disengagingfrom saidl offset portions the thinnera'rticles en= gaged'by them.

3 2; In a machine for separatingarticles'dif feringin thickness, ahollow "cylinder mount-- ed'to rotate ona horlzontal'axis having'onitsnterior surface hooks having portions thereof extendingin the directionin which the cyl; It i inder rotates and offset from the surface of thecylinder a distance corresponding tothe thickness oft'he thinnerarticles andless than the thickness of the thicker articles, means forrotating the cylin'de'r', and" positively act mg meansmoving in thedirectionin which the hooks extend for disengaging fromsaid offsetportions the thinner articlesengagedby-thein comprising a brush movlngqnc'ontact. with the inner surface of the cylinder. 5

g 3. In a machineffor separating articles differing in thickness, ahollow cylinder mountinterior surface hooks having portions there'-ofextending in the direction'in which the cylinder rotates and offsetfrom the surface of the cylinder a distance corresponding to thevthickness of the thinner articles and. less than} the thickness ofthe'thickerarti'cles,

means for rotating the cylinder andimeans for disengaging, fromsaidofis'et' portions. the x thinner articles engagedby them comprising'a brush moving in contact with the inner surface ofthe cylinder ataspeed greaterthanthe speed of movement of'the said inner sur-" facevofthe cylinder and in the direction the hooks extend. 1

interior surface hooks having portions thereof extending'in thedirection in which the cylinder rotates and offset from the surface ofthe cylinder a distance corresponding to the thickness of the thinnerarticles and less than the thickness of the thicker articles, means forrotating the cylinder and means for disengaging the thinner articlesengaged by them comprising a rotary brush within the cylinder having itsperiphery in contact with the inner surface of the cylinder, and in thedirection the hooks extend.

5. In a machine for separating articles differing in thickness, a hollowcylinder mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis having on its interiorsurface hooks having portions thereof extending in the direction inwhich the cylinder rotates and offset from the surface of the cylinder adistance corresponding to the thickness of the thinner articles and lessthan the thickness of the thicker articles, means for rotating thecylinder, and means for disengaging from said offset portions thethinner articles engaged by them comprising a rotary brush within thecylinder having its periphery in contact with the inner surface of thecylinder and so rotated that its peripheral speed is greater than thespeed of movement of the inner surface of the cylinder and in thedirection the hooks extend.

6. In a machine for separating articles differing in thickness, a hollowcylinder mounted to rotate on a longitudinal axis having on its interiorsurface hooks having portions thereof extending in the direction inwhich the cylinder rot-ates and offset from the surface of the cylindera distance corresponding to the thickness of the thinner articles andless than the thickness of the thicker articles, means for rotating thecylinder, positively acting means moving in the direction in which thehooks extend for disengaging from said hooks the thinner articlesengaged by said offset portions of the hooks, and means within thecylinder adapted to receive the thinner 7 articles so disengaged.

7. In a machine for separating articles differing in thickness, a hollowcylinder mounted to rotate onalongitudinal axis having on its interiorsurface hooks having portions thereof extending in the direction inwhich the cylinder rotates and offset from the surface of the cylinder adistance corresponding to the thickness of the thinner articles and lessthat the thickness of the thicker articles, meansfor rotating thecylinder, positively acting means moving in the direction in which thehooks extend for disengaging from said hooks the thinner articlesengaged by said offset portions of the hooks, and means Within thecylinder adapted to receive the thinner articles so disengagedcomprising a conveyor belt and means for moving it to carry said thinnerarticles out of the cylinder.

8. In a machine for separating articles differing in thickness, a hollowcylinder mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis having on its interiorsurface hooks having portions thereof extending in the direction inwhich the cylinder rotates and offset from the surface of the cylinder adistance corresponding to the thickness of the thinner articles and lessthan the thickness of the thicker articles, means for rotating thecylinder, means for disengaging the thinner articles engaged by saidoffset portions of the hooks, and means for disengaging from the ends ofsaid offset portions any of the thicker articles carried by them.

9. In a machine for separating articles differing in thickness, a hollowcylinder mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis having on its interiorsurface hooks having portions thereof extending in the direction inwhich the cylinder rotates and offset from the surface of the cylinder adistance corresponding to the thickness of the thinner articles and lessthan the thickness of the thicker articles, means for rotating thecylinder, means for disengaging the thinner articles engaged by saidoffset portions of the hooks comprising a rotary brush and means forrotating it in the same direction in which the cylinder rotates but at aperipheral speed greater than the speed of rotation of the cylinder andmeans for disengaging from the ends of said offset portions any of thethicker articles carried by them.

10. In a machine for separating articles differing in thickness, ahollow cylinder mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis having on itsinterior surface hooks having portions'thereof extending in thedirection in which the cylinder rotates and offset from the surface ofthe cylinder a distance corresponding to the thickness of the thinnerarticles and less than the thickness of the thicker articles, means forrotating the cylinder, means for disengaging the thinner articlesengaged by said offset portions of the hooks comprising a rotary brushand means for rotating it in the same direction in which the cylinderrotates but at aperipheral speed greater than the speed of rotation ofthe cylinder, means for disengaging from the ends of said offsetportions any of the thicker articles carried by them comprising a rotarybrush and means for rotating it in a direc tion opposite to thedirection of rotation of the cylinder.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

FRANK P. RYDER.

